Deb Fischer: “our first session of the 118th Congress is coming to a close. But in the flurry of last-minute legislating, I want to…”

“our first session of the 118th Congress is coming to a close. But in the flurry of last-minute legislating, I want to call attention to one of the most important stories that I have read this year. Now, I don't want to ruin anyone's Christmas, but this isn't good news. It is deeply sobering. The Wall Street Journal article titled ``Alarm Grows Over Weakened Militaries and Empty Arsenals in Europe'' is what I would like to talk about. And here is how it begins: The British military--the leading U.S. military ally and Europe's biggest defense spender--has only around 150 deployable tanks and perhaps a dozen serviceable long-range artillery pieces. So bare was the cupboard that last year the British military considered sourcing multiple rocket launchers from museums to upgrade and donate [those then] to Ukraine, an idea that was dropped. France, the next biggest spender, has fewer than 90 heavy artillery pieces, equivalent to what Russia loses roughly every month on the Ukraine battlefield. Denmark has no heavy artillery, submarines or air-defense systems. Germany's army has enough ammunition for two days of battle. The war in Ukraine has exposed just how serious our friends' readiness and supply problems are. Think about what I said. The largest defense spender in Europe has considered raiding museums for scraps of usable equipment. When it comes to heavy artillery, Russia blows through France's entire arsenal every month.…”